“No day is ever the same”

Chat Leave a comment January 26, 2018 nutritionadsa

We chatted to Registered Dietitian, Jessica Byrne, who is currently undergoing her Masters studies in Therapeutic Nutrition and fulfils the role of chief operating officer for ADSA, to find out why she became a dietitian, what she loves about her work and what the challenges are:

Why did you become a Registered Dietitian?

Biology was always my favourite subject at school, and I knew from fairly early on that I wanted to follow a career in health. Finding out more about dietetics when I started varsity, I knew it was the perfect fit for me, incorporating science as a base but also allowing me to work with people on a more personal level.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do? What are the most satisfying moments?

For most people their first thought about a dietitian is that our job is helping people to lose weight. But I love that our profession is involved in such a diverse range of areas, and with that it brings versatility and variety. For me no day is ever the same. One day I could be seeing patients in the ICU, and the next assisting a journalist with evidence-based content for an article on nutrition, through my role in ADSA.

In my work in the hospital setting, it is rewarding to know that through providing nutrition therapy, I am contributing to enhancing the recovery of that patient and improving their health.

What has been your career highlight?

A recent highlight for me is when I represented ADSA and the dietetic profession at parliament, where I presented ADSA’s position and recommendations for the sugar tax. It was an exciting experience, and certainly not something I saw myself doing when I first became a dietitian!

What are the most challenging aspects of your career?

The public is being exposed to more nutrition information that ever before, but unfortunately not all this information is accurate, from credible sources or might not be appropriate for every individual. Trying to correct these misperceptions around diet is an important part of a dietitian’s work.

How do you cope after a day of nutrition disasters and bad eating choices?

I don’t let it get to the point where the entire day has been filled with poor eating choices, but if I’m having something less healthy I don’t beat myself up about it, but try to really savour it and know that I will get back on track at my next meal. I truly believe that moderation is key to keeping yourself on track long term, rather than putting yourself under unnecessary pressure to always make the healthy choice. That is why I follow the 80:20 rule – 80% of the time make the healthier choice, and then allow yourself that 20% for a treat now and then, without feeling guilty about it.

What are the three things that you think people should stop saying when they meet a dietitian?

• ‘Please don’t look at what I’m eating!’ (I’m not the food police and I do not judge, especially as I don’t know what the rest of your eating patterns and lifestyle are like.)
• ‘So, do you ever eat chocolate/cake?’ (Of course I do, just not every day!)
• My initial thought was to add ‘What do you think about (insert current diet trend)?’ to this list because, let’s be honest, we don’t want to be talking about work when we’re out enjoying time with friends. But in fact, I don’t want people to stop asking that question! It actually makes me excited when someone asks a dietitian for their opinion on a new diet trend or popular headline they might have read. They are trying to make their mind up about a particular issue, and it’s a fantastic opportunity as a healthcare professional to provide guidance that is scientifically sound and based on evidence.

What should clients look out for when deciding which dietitian to work with?

Dietitians are all trained and qualified to treat any patient presented to them. However, some dietitians might have special interests and be more knowledgeable in certain areas, so this can be useful to guide you on finding the right dietitian for you.

 What is your favourite dish and your favourite treat food?

I love so many different foods, it’s so difficult to choose a favourite dish. It might sound cliched, but I really do love veggies! I love trying new dishes where veggies are the hero, particularly using vegetables to take a boring salad to something super tasty. And when it comes to a treat food, without a doubt, my favourite would be anything that contains chocolate!

Jessica holds both a B.Sc degree in Physiology and Biochemistry, and a B.Sc (Medical) (Honours) degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Cape Town. She is currently undergoing her Masters studies in Therapeutic Nutrition at Stellenbosch University. Before joining ADSA in the role of chief operating officer, Jessica worked at the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA where she provided up-to-date scientific content for media, planned public awareness and education campaigns, and worked on local government projects. Jessica also consults at private hospitals, where she is responsible for the nutritional management of critically ill, medical and surgical patients.

To find a dietitian in your area please visit the ADSA website and click on the PUBLIC button.

Dietitians urge South Africans to ‘Eat Fact Not Fiction’

Chat 2 Comments June 12, 2017 nutritionadsa

Nutrition advice promising all sorts, from weight loss to healthier living and even cures for diseases, spread like wildfire across social media. In the era of ‘alternative facts’ and post-truth, ‘the latest, greatest nutrition advice’ from dubious sources can unfortunately tempt many away from accepted dietary guidelines and recommendations based on years of evidence.

‘Evidence and Expertise’ is the theme of Dietitian’s Week 2017, highlighting the important role of dietitians who are able to interpret nutrition science and dietary guidelines in order to customise nutrition advice for each individual. This is vital because from weight loss to a disease like diabetes, there is no ‘one size fits all’ best eating plan. Dietitians happen to be health professionals trained and qualified to do this.

Dietitians and Evidence

In the course of earning their degrees in the science of dietetics, dietitians are specifically taught the skills required to interpret scientific evidence. In order to maintain their professional registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), all practising SA dietitians also have to undertake ongoing studies that ensure they keep up with the latest knowledge provided by new and emerging evidence, in accordance with the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme. This means they have the latest evidence-based food, health and disease expertise at their fingertips – and you won’t find a registered dietitian in the country basing any recommendations on the long outdated food pyramid.

Dietitians and the Food-Based Dietary Guidelines

The country’s broad strokes dietary guidelines, on which public health messages are based, and which were developed according to the process recommended by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), have also evolved over the years, featuring a notable shift from the emphasis on nutrients to the focus on actual foods, which by nature contain a variety of nutrients. ADSA, the Association for Dietetics in South Africa, provides further clarity on the guidelines with its statement on the Optimal Nutrition for South Africans. The latest visual Food Guide from the Department of Health provides a very different picture from older models such as the Food Pyramid and represents the latest FAO recommendations.

Dietitians and Patients

But the reality remains that diet is highly personal. What we eat is rooted in our culture and tradition, shaped by affordability and accessibility, and inextricably intertwined with highly variable lifestyle factors such as weight, physical activity, emotional connection to food and our consumption of non-food substances, as well as various physiological differences and genetics.

“This is where the dietitian comes to the fore,” says ADSA President and Registered Dietitian, Maryke Gallagher. “If you take a disease such as diabetes, which is a prevalent lifestyle disease in the country, and is a condition that can be managed through diet, each patient needs a tailor-made plan and focused support to make their individualised diet work towards their well-being and health. When the situation demands change around something as fundamental to life as food, then broad strokes are not necessarily sustainable solutions.”

Dietitians and Sustainability

The role that the dietitian can play in helping the communities in which they work to secure healthy food systems that are good for both people and the planet is an emerging responsibility in the profession. Dietitans are increasingly involved in facets of our modern food systems including agriculture and alternative food production methods, natural resources and ecosystems, social justice and community health issues, as well as developing food policy and food systems research that takes sustainability into account.

Dietitians and Diseases

Some may associate dietitians with merely giving advice and support to someone who wants to lose weight, but dietitians work across a range of industries. They are also experts in providing nutritional advice with regard to serious diseases and conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, liver disease, kidney disease, cancers, HIV/AIDS, TB, throat, stomach and intestinal disorders, as well as food allergies and intolerances, eating disorders, sports nutrition and life-stage nutrition (including the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding as the best start in life). Apart from dietitians in private practice, they work in hospitals and communities, academia and industries. In addition to consulting with patients, dietitians are also involved in research, nutrition training and development of provincial and national policies.

Dietitians and Malnutrition

In South Africa, where the health issues that arise from the obesity epidemic stand side by side with those resulting from undernutrition, our dietitians’ work literally spans from one extreme to another. The South African Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SASPEN), a supporter of Dietitian’s Week, highlights the essential role the dietitian plays in providing nutritional support to promote optimal nutrition to people in hospitals, where malnutrition is a common cause of the exacerbation of disease, delayed healing and prolonged hospital stays.

The Dietitian and You

It’s clear, that as a country, our need for dietitians is multi-fold, which explains why there’s a lot more than just dietary guidelines on the mind of a registered dietitian. In consultation, your dietitian is going to be taking in many factors unique to you to work towards helping you make optimal food choices. This includes your age and gender; your genetics, body size and body image; your environment, culture, spiritual beliefs and family life; physical activity level, mental well-being and general abilities; your work life and patterns; your budget; food preferences, eating tastes and cooking skills; as well as your existing health conditions and prescribed meds.

In the hopes of steering us clear of the latest trumped up ‘diets’ and promoting a return to genuine expertise and evidence, dietitians countrywide are suggesting that we ‘Eat Facts Not Fiction’.

In collaboration with the British Dietetics Association, Dietitian’s Week is held in SA from 12th to 16th June, with the 2017 theme ‘Evidence and Expertise’.

To find a dietitian in your area, please visit the ADSA website.

 

Is a Career as a Dietitian for You?

Chat 3 Comments April 10, 2017 nutritionadsa

Dietetics, the field of nutrition, health and the application of science-based nutrition knowledge offers a variety of distinctive career opportunities that goes beyond the usual view of the dietitian as someone who simply helps others lose weight. If you have interests in health, food, healthy lifestyle and science, you may well find your niche in this growing profession.

“A dietitian is a registered healthcare professional who is qualified to assess, diagnose and treat nutritional problems, as well as to advise on preventative nutritional strategies,” says Maryke Gallagher, registered dietitian and President of ADSA, the Association for Dietetics in South Africa. In South Africa, the minimum qualification for a dietitian is a four-year BSc degree and one-year of community service. To practice dietetics in the country, one must be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). A registered dietitian is, therefore, a recognised expert in evidenced-based nutrition. This scientific expertise is vital in today’s world where there is an abundance of unscientific health and nutrition information, as well as a plethora of fad diets and nutrition gimmicks.

While dietitians are certainly the ‘go-to’ people for those battling with overweight and obesity, there is a lot more to the career than just sharing weight reduction and management expertise. What we eat has significant impacts on many other diseases and health conditions. Whether therapeutic nutrition or preventative nutrition, dietitians promote good health and wellbeing for all. There is much scope to tailor a career in dietetics to your personal passions. You may be interested in focusing on children’s health, maternal health, food allergies or eating disorders, or on some of the many medical conditions that require a dietitian’s management such as diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS and intestinal disorders. In addition, when it comes to sports, nutrition also impacts on performance, and dietitians may often play integral roles on the teams managing high performance sportspeople.

Without doubt, there is a high need for registered dietitians in South Africa. While infectious disease such as HIV/AIDS and TB continue to be prevalent in South Africa, non-communicable diseases like heart disease, strokes, cancers and diabetes are actually the main causes of deaths (1). Yet up to 80% of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes and over a third of cancers could be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as eating a healthy diet, keeping physically active and avoiding tobacco products (2).   South Africa is ranked the most obese country in sub-Saharan Africa(3). Alarmingly, two out of three women and almost one in three men are overweight or obese, and almost 1 in 4 children aged 2-14 years are overweight or obese in South Africa(4). On the opposite side of the coin, chronic under-nutrition is also prevalent with 1 in 4 children aged 0-3 years suffering from stunting, a condition where a child grows to be small for their age due to poor nutrition(4). There is also a high incidence of micronutrient deficiencies, particularly vitamin A and iron, in South African children and women of reproductive age(4). South Africa has high levels of food insecurity with around 1 in 4 food-insecure South Africans experiencing hunger and a further 1 in 4 at risk of hunger(4).

Dietitians may work in a variety of settings with different areas of focus:

Private practice – like other health professionals, dietitians can set themselves up to consult privately with patients who need advice on nutrition therapy and support to make healthy eating a lifestyle change.

Hospitals – known as clinical dietitians, these practitioners primarily work in hospitals consulting with patients who are referred to them by doctors or other healthcare professionals. Their role in a patient care team is to assess and individualise nutrition therapy (whether an appropriate special diet, tube feed or intravenous feed) as an integral part of recovery or palliative care.

Community – these dietitians may be employed in the public sector, or by NGOs or community-based organisations. Their focus is generally on the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding; growth monitoring and the prevention of malnutrition; nutrition promotion and education; promotion of healthy lifestyles to address non- communicable diseases; prevention and treatment of vitamin and mineral deficiencies; and addressing food insecurity issues.

Institution-based – dietitians also work in food service management providing healthy and specialised diets to people living in institutions such as senior homes, school hostels, welfare care centres, prisons and health care facilities. Their work includes planning, costing and developing menus; controlling implementing, evaluating and overseeing food service systems; and managing special dietary requirements.

Industry/Corporate – there are varied roles for dietitians in the food, retail, healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. They may advise on current food labelling legislation, nutrition regulations and the nutritional analysis of food items; be involved in product development; share latest developments and trends in nutrition; participate in nutrition-related marketing activities; lead corporate wellness programmes and conduct literature reviews.

Research/Academia – dietitians employed by educational institutions are involved in continuously providing new evidence-based nutrition information through on-going research and teaching and are responsible for the training of new nutrition professionals. 

Media/Publishing – in the Information Age, there is opportunity for dietitians, who have important knowledge to share, to generate expert content providing nutrition advice, latest evidenced-based nutrition news and views, commentary on nutrition issues and inspiration for healthy eating.

Do you have what it takes?

Maryke advises that a career in dietetics will suit those who:

• are interested in food and health
• enjoy and have a flair for Science
• would be fulfilled by a caring, helping profession
• are lifelong learners who are attentive to the on-going developments in Science
• are able to translate scientific knowledge into practical advice
• are comfortable in the role of the expert and like sharing knowledge with others
• have strong inter- and intrapersonal skills
• have a positive attitude and the ability to motivate others
• have empathy, understanding and tact

 

 

References

1. Mortality and causes of death in South Africa, 2014: Findings from death notification / Statistics South Africa. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa, 2015

2. Global status report on noncommunicable diseases 2010. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2011

3. World Health Organisation. 2015. Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Accessed June 2015. http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.

4. Shisana O, Labadarios D, Rehle T, Simbayi L, Zuma K, Dhansay A, et al. South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (SANHANES-1). Cape Town: Health Sciences Research Council, 2013.

 ABOUT ADSA

ADSA, the Association for Dietetics in South Africa is one of the country’s professional organisations for registered dietitians.  It is a registered non-profit organisation served by qualified volunteers. The Association represents, and plays a vital role in developing the dietetic profession so as to contribute towards the goal of achieving optimal nutrition for all South Africans.  Through its network of ten branches ADSA provides dietitians with the opportunity to meet and network with other professionals in their provinces. Through its comprehensive Continuing Professional Development (CPD) system, ADSA supports dietitians in meeting their mandatory on-going learning, which is essential to maintain their registration status with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Visit: http://www.adsa.org.za